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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · kick · mouse · saw · band · plane · branch · wake

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. band — a ring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. branch — a division
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com